Technology

Find wheelchair friendly locations on Google Maps

By BIG WIRE

Posted on December 19, 2016

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If you have a wheelchair and struggle to know if the locations you plan to visit have ramps, then you need not worry anymore because Google Maps can provide the information you need.

The web mapping service developed by Google has made it possible to let you know if a location is wheelchair friendly, thanks to a group of Google employees including Google Drive product manager Rio Akasaka who spent their 20% of their time to make this a reality.

The listings are however available in the US only.

As parts of its policy, the California-based search giant allows its employees to spend 20% of their time working on other projects unrelated to their main jobs.

Gmail, AdSense, and Google News all started as 20% projects, reported Business Insider.

Google Maps has already been helping internet users to navigate the best places in different locations faster and information one needs to get there.

The map tool has now started displaying information about the suitability of a location for people with access needs.

Launched over a decade ago on February 8, 2005 and developed by a team of 50, the Google Maps is the most popular mapping app in the world. It has more than a billion users.

People not only take the help of this app for getting driving and public transport directions but also search many other locations of their need – from a restaurant, shopping mall to hospital or educational institution.

Google gets detail information about location accessibility from ‘Local Guides’, who are regular Google Maps users.

They respond to questions such as cost, quietness about places they have visited.

Questions on accessibility were added to the list earlier this year, and with ‘millions’ of answers, Google now feels confident enough to share the details with its other users, the report says.

Big Wire